WOLVES are inching closer towards handing skipper Paul Ince an ultimatum to make a decision on his Molineux future.

WOLVES are inching closer towards handing skipper Paul Ince an ultimatum to make a decision on his Molineux future.

Ince is yet to decide whether to take up the offer of a fresh one-year deal despite admitting at the end of last season he was itching to stay on at Wolves.

While stressing they remain confident the 37-year-old skipper will put pen to paper, Wolves are keen to avoid a repeat of last season when Ince's future wasn't resolved until a few days into pre-season training.

The current impasse is partly due to holidays on both sides, and chief executive Jez Moxey is hopeful it's just a case of dotting the i's and crossing the t's before Ince will confirm he is staying to continue his inspired renaissance under Glenn Hoddle.

"We've been chasing Paul and his agent, making offers, and we can't let things drag on too much longer," said Moxey.

"And we're probably getting to the point, within the next three or four days perhaps, where I will say to the agent it's time to put up and say do you want to do this or not.

"We want Paul to stay, we've made him a very good offer, and hopefully he will want to stay.

"Glenn has been prepared to give him some slack and some time because that's what Glenn did himself so he knew he could not be contradictory and expect an immediate answer.

"But a decision is becoming important because we are less than four weeks away from returning for pre-season training but things have been going well and I believe Paul still wants to come back."

Despite not being expected to be available for every game next season Ince's return would offer a big boost to Wolves as he could prove an important cornerstone of a hopeful promotion bid.

Whether he would be joined by Kenny Miller in those few short weeks remains up in the air, as Sunderland prepare to return with an offer higher than the £1million rejected by Wolves earlier this week.

The Black Cats, who have also made offers for Blackburn's Jon Stead and Watford's Heidar Helguson, are understood to be ready to rest Wolves' resolve with a fresh offer.

Wolves are prepared to sell their transfer-listed striker, but only at the right price, and the man himself insists it's business as usual as he prepares for Scotland's World Cup qualifiers with Moldova and Belarus.

"I am a Wolves player and I have not heard anything," said Miller

"I'm no closer to moving than I was a year ago."

Miller shrugged off a season spent on the list by finishing as Wolves' top scorer with 20 goals.